Bus stations help facilitate massive polio vaccinations

Bus stations help facilitate massive polio vaccinations

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Bogor

While hundreds of parents took their young children to a polio
vaccination post in Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta, Paryati and
three-year-old son Zakky were waiting for a bus on Tuesday
morning.

Suddenly a local official came up to Paryati and told her to
take her son to the vaccination post. Still unsure of what was
going on, Paryati slowly walked to the post.

"I was a little bit shocked when the man came up and told me
to bring my child here. But it's a good thing he did, because I
would have missed the free vaccination," Paryati told The Jakarta
Post.

The government carried out a national mandatory polio
vaccination drive on Tuesday in a bid to eradicate the virus that
has emerged in several provinces across the country over the past
few months.

Under existing laws, parents who refuse to take their children
for vaccination may face legal sanctions, including one year's
imprisonment and or a fine of Rp 1 million (US$106).

In Jakarta, over 700,000 children under five were expected to
participate in the country's first mass polio vaccination drive.

Meanwhile, Bogor municipality targeted to vaccinate 80,623
children, while Bogor regency targeted 457,146 children.

Vaccination posts were set up in neighborhoods and inter-city
bus terminals to ensure that all of the city's under-five
children were immunized. Similar posts were also established in
front of fast food restaurants and in malls. Each post was manned
by four or five health officials or volunteers.

"We fully support the program and that is why we deployed 12
officials to look for passengers with children and persuade them
to go to the post," head of the Kampung Rambutan inter-city bus
terminal Didy Sadiri said.

Six officials monitored inter-city buses and the others
monitored city buses.

Ahmirul Akmal, an official from the Jakarta health agency who
monitored the Kampung Rambutan post, said that he did not expect
so many children would be vaccinated at the station.

"We had no idea how many children would get vaccinated here
because there was no data available. But, I am thrilled that the
interest is high. We even had to ask for more vaccine," he said.

By the time the post was closed at 1 p.m., 277 children under
five had been immunized.

It was a different situation at the Lebak Bulus bus station in
South Jakarta, where only 45 children were vaccinated.

Terminal officials repeatedly encouraged parents traveling
with children under five to take them for vaccination.

"I announced it (the free vaccination) every 30 minutes
through the terminal's loudspeaker, but people still didn't come.
I guess it's because there were no notices about the polio
vaccination post here," said Sarbini, the head of the inter-city
terminal.

The Jakarta Health Agency praised the contribution made by bus
stations, saying they helped prevent the polio virus from
traveling.

"Bus stations are one of the biggest contributors in terms of
getting children immunized. We haven't had exact numbers yet, but
I'm sure the posts there were highly effective," said Zelfyno,
spokesperson for the Jakarta Health Agency.

City officials said on Monday that they would carry out door-
to-door search for children under five for the next week to make
sure they were vaccinated.

The next round of polio vaccinations will be held on June 28.